Design Engineer jobs in the UK

Live design engineer roles plus reconciled 2026 salary data by region.

9167 live design engineer roles

Senior IC Design Engineer

Southampton

See advert for pay

Join a global leader in semiconductor technology and help develop the next generation of touch and human-machine interface solutions used in…

Hybrid Engineering
4 days ago Apply on WhatJobs

Design Engineer salary by region (2026)

RegionSalary range (median)
North West (indicative)
2 live adverts
£36,000 – £57,500 (midpoint £55,250)
Midlands (indicative)
4 live adverts
£36,000 – £80,000 (midpoint £55,000)
Northern Ireland (indicative)
15 live adverts
£35,000 – £72,500 (midpoint £55,000)
South East (indicative)
4 live adverts
£30,500 – £70,000 (midpoint £53,750)
North East (indicative)
5 live adverts
£46,000 – £72,500 (midpoint £53,000)
East of England (indicative)
5 live adverts
£49,000 – £57,500 (midpoint £52,500)
London (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£42,000 – £60,000 (midpoint £51,000)
Scotland (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£36,000 – £52,000 (midpoint £44,000)
Yorkshire (indicative)
no live adverts yet: baseline range
£35,000 – £50,000 (midpoint £42,500)
South West (indicative)
5 live adverts
£34,000 – £75,000 (midpoint £40,000)
Wales (indicative)
5 live adverts
£36,500 – £47,500 (midpoint £39,000)

Methodology: medians reconcile live advertised UK salaries for this role and region; 25th–75th percentiles are shown only where at least 5 live salaried listings back them. They are measured or omitted, never interpolated. Rows marked indicative are anchored to our curated 2026 baseline ranges until enough live data accrues. Listings advertising an implausible annual figure (a mislabelled hourly or daily rate) are excluded rather than converted, because converting one means guessing the hours behind it.

Market view. Sector and toolchain drive pay: special-purpose machinery, defence and energy design roles pay above general fabrication drawing-office work. Chartership (CEng via IMechE or IET) and ownership of designs from concept through validation are the strongest levers.
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FAQs

What does a design engineer earn in the UK?

Indicatively £35,000–£60,000 permanent, with senior/principal design roles in defence and energy exceeding this.

Which CAD skills pay best?

3D parametric design (SolidWorks/Inventor/Creo) with FEA or design-for-manufacture experience typically out-earns 2D draughting.

Does chartership matter for design engineers?

Yes. CEng status (IMechE/IET) is a consistent differentiator in senior design and consultancy pay.

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